Thursday, August 30, 2007

BOBKAST #2

"I've Got a New Kaleidoscope"

Just in time for the long weekend we present you with the second installment of the Bobkast. This mix is electronic-oriented, so folk freaks beware.

!!! - Take Ecstasy With Me
Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes - You Can't Go (Edit de Prince Language)
Simian Mobile Disco - I Believe
CSS - Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above (Spank Rock Remix)
Joakim - Drumtrax
Alan Braxe & Fred Falke - Rubicon
Al Usher - Her Today
Chromatics - Hands in the Dark (Dark Day)
Thieves Like Us - Drugs In My Body

Download (Right click, save target as)

STAX Records: Soulsville USA

"Soulsville USA"
The other night I was lucky enough to catch "Great Performances: Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story" for the second time. Not gonna lie, this is what music geeks dream about; an archivists view of the legendary rhtyhm and blues label that was home to Booker T & the MG's, Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, the Markays, the Bar-Kays, Mel & Tim, Sam & Dave & ISAAC HAYES! The documentary reports the history of the Memphis Soul factory and is a triumphant tale of men and women, black and white, working together to create something bigger than themselves, in a period of time when they couldn't even eat together at the same downtown diner. It seems like no big deal, but in the early 60's in Memphis, a town where racial hostility was, pardon my french, fucking karazee, the fact that the Stax studio and office was a sanctuary where creative people of any race or sex could unite and create music from the soul is a testament to the heart (and soul) of the human condition.

While the label is known by most as the home of Otis Redding, it also released breakthrough records like "Green Onions" (I guarantee you know this song even if you don't think you do) by Booker T & The MG's and the fiery inspiration of the Staples Singers "Respect Yourself."

Last night I flipped on the television just as Otis' segment at Monterey Pop was airing. Bone chilling. I've been lucky enough to own this on vinyl for years, inherited from my pops (Jimi Hendrix performance is the B-side!) and the electric versions of "Try a Little Tenderness" and "I've Been Loving You" are the undoubted pinnacle of a brilliant, but short career. I swear if you listen hard enough you can almost hear Otis' heart bursting from the seams.

Below are two of the most heart-wrenching songs of all time, as well as the trailer for the "Respect Yourself: The STAX Records Story." Pretty Pretty Please do yourself a favor and pick up this documentary and look for more STAX related posts in the coming weeks.

Otis Redding- I've Been Loving You
Otis Redding- Try A Little Tenderness

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Good Peeps: Billy Preston

"Will It Go Round In Circles?"

Billy Preston (aka the "Fifth Beatle") first met the band as a bright-eyed 15 year old in Hamburg, Germany, nearly 7 years before he would be given songwriting credits on The Beatles 1969 single "Get Back." Billy was on tour with Little Richard at the time, after having established himself as a bonafide keyboard prodigy: at age 10 he was playing organ with gospel legend Mahalia Jackson, and at age 12 he played W.C. Handy himself in the film St. Louis Blues.

During the tumultuous recording sessions for Let It Be, George Harrison called Billy in to the studio to provide some fresh creativity and to lighten the mood. The results speak for themselves. After gaining fame with the Beatles, Preston was signed to Apple records. He released a slew of solo albums, while at the same time becoming one of the most sought-after studio musicians on the planet. In 1975, he was asked to be the music guest (along with Janis Ian) on the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live.

Yes, Billy Preston had a long and fruitful career. But in our opinion, no two videos sum up his career better than the two posted below. In the first, a young Billy is singing and dancing with Ray Charles and goes nuts on the beat. The second video is for his Grammy-winning track "Outa-Space," which looks like it would have been a fun video shoot to be a part of: a bunch of his friends crammed into his practice space and proceeded to get DOWN! Be sure the check out the career-spanning and genre-jumping Ultimate Collection to get a better feel for Billy's work.

"Agent Double O Soul" (featuring some of the sickest dance moves ever recorded)


"Outa-Space"

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

old musick: Okkervil River

"The World Ain't So Sweet or So Tender"

New Hampshire born, Austin bred Okkervil River recently released their fifth full length, Stage Names. While the record continues to build on the melodramatic epic-ness of Black Sheep Boy and Down the River Of Golden Dream, I find myself revisiting the Australia only Tour Ep Overboard & Down. Two tracks in particular keep drawing me to this EP, which conveniently fits into the 25 minute constraint of my bike ride to work. Quite lovely. "The President's Dead," the opening track of the EP, is a nostalgic history lesson, which functions as a meaningful portrait of the thoughts running through ones head during a catastrophic historical event, for example the assassination of a President. Nothing political here, rather a character study of what one "small, quiet man" felt the day the president was shot and killed. He was in his bed with his girlfriend, the presidents dead. His memories lead to an array of emotive sentiments, dreaming of the future and recreating the past in sweeping poetics.

"Love to a Monster" is an over-dramatic jangler about trying to hate an EX when it's near impossible to do, regardless of what he or she did and includes the line "I Hope You get Angry and Get Hurt and Have the Hardest of Landings." Melodrama, nostalgia and poetry, just the thing we've come to expect from Will Sheff and company.

Okkervil River- The Presidents Dead
Okkervil River- Love to a Monster

Monday, August 27, 2007

nu musick: Brazilian Girls


I will argue til the day I die that no one on this here planet earth is sexier than Sabinna Sciubba of the Brazilian Girls. While not Brazilian, Sabinna is without a doubt just as fiery, mysterious and downright sexy as any hottie from the streets of Rio. We've seen them live and they definitely know, to quote the Wu, how to "bring the mutha fucking ruckus." Coincidently, so do the Talking Heads, which makes the Brazilian Girls dirty electro cover of the Remain In Light classick "Crosseyed & Painless", a sure fire party starter. While it doesn't hold a candle to the classick Phish version, it's definitely worth a listen. Peep it below.

Brazilian Girls- Crosseyed & Painless

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Doing Time with the Decemberists

"A well-dressed man in the crosshairs"

Not unlike Hot Chip's "In the Morning" remix, the Junior Boys, along with Diplo and A Touch of Class, have remixed "hyper-literate prog-rockers" Decemberists's newest single, "A Perfect Crime #2", into an EP of dance tracks scarcely similar to the original. The Perfect Crime #2 EP, out September 25th, includes three remixes and what seems like an alternate version (titled "Perfecet Crime #2.5.1"). The Diplo and Junior Boys remixes are fresh indeed; no need to list The Decemberists as the artist in iTunes. While still enjoyable and danceworthy, neither track's quite as compelling as the original.

Decemberists fans: be sure to check out upcoming dates for the fall, which includes a tour across Europe and plenty of big-city dates here in the US.

The Decemberists - A Perfect Crime #2 [from The Crane Wife]
The Decemberists - A Perfect Crime #2 (Junior Boys remix)

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam

"A Thousand Weeks in Brooklyn/ So Depressed"

Animal Collective. Two very simple words, yet utterly impossible to define without incorporating 'psychadelic.' Luckily, 'psychadelic' is sweet. It's been a pretty big year for the Collective, with Panda Bear's Person Pitch blowing minds around the world, and soon the Collective's Strawberry Jam will do the same, spreading hallucinogenic sounds around the globe with jamz like "Chores" and "Fireworks." I've been listening to Strawberry Jam consistently for over a month now and can't get the melodic tribal screams of "For Reverand Green" out of my head. I was a fan of Sung Tongs, Feels and the Prospect Hummer with Vashti Bunyan, but the new jam (along with the Peoples EP and Person Pitch) has made me a disciple. I can honestly say that you will never hear anything like Strawberry Jam. Even if you're a huge Animal Collective fan (which you should be, but we'll understand if you're not), Strawberry Jam will sound like a breath of f**ked up fresh air from a band that has consistently reinvented themselves, experimenting with a plethora of outerwordly sounds and schisms. It's the stuff dreams are made of (Acid dreams...on peyote). It's not for everyone, but if you clear your mind, let your consciousness expand and allow the music to seed in your brain, I guarantee you will become an obsessive fan of the collective. There is nothing as mindblowing as what these guys are doing and even if you don't like it, you at least gotta give them credit for being original. With that said, if you don't like it, fuck off. Check out some Strawberry Jam below and the insane video for "Fireworks."

Animal Collective-For Reverand Green

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Rose Hill Drive

"Hard Rock, reborn"

Pinned as one of Rolling Stone's 10 Artists to Watch in 2007, Boulder, CO-based Rose Hill Drive are picking up where bands like Cream, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath left off. Blending a powerful mix of psychedelic, hard-rock/metal, and blues (with some pop sensibilities thrown in for good measure), RHD are quickly gaining favor with old and new heads alike.

Brothers Jake (bass) and Daniel Sproul (guitar) joined forces with childhood friend Nate Barnes (drums) around 2001, when not a single member was even old enough to vote. Since then, the band has toured relentlessly, slowly building a devoted grassroots fanbase while perfecting their sound and songwriting. And it seems like their hard work is beginning to pay off: the band was handpicked by Pete Townshend to open The Who's recent world tour.

Rose Hill Drive released their debut, self-titled studio album last August and are currently in the studio working on the follow up. Be on the lookout for a national tour in the near future. To hold you over, we have posted a studio track and a live video below. As an added bonus for all of you Comcast cable subscribers, be sure to check out another live clip in the concert.tv section of your OnDemand menu.

Rose Hill Drive- Cool Cody

"Showdown" (live from the Boulder Theater, 12.31.06)

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

The Bobkast

"I'm High & I'm Happy & I'm Free"

We're doing something not-so new to us but we're doing it anyway. Knuckles was killed off in Hurricane Dean and has been replaced by something comparable only to the infamous Pimp Bot 5000. That's right, we decided to make our own podcast, which we've dubbed The BobKast. Check out our inaugural mix and knuckles farewell here. Tracklist and link below.

"I'm High & I'm Happy & I'm Free- The Bobkast #1"
1. Feist- Inside and Out
2. Rilo Kiley- Breakin' Up
3. Beck- Tropicalia
4. Peter Bjorn & John- Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (Girl Talk Remix)
5. Super Furry Animals- Northern Lights
6. Vampire Weekend- Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
7. Blair- Half Moon
8. Jens Lekman- I'm Leaving You (Because I Don't Love You)
9. Bishop Allen- Bishop Allen Drive
10. The Brunettes- Loopy Loopy Love
11. The Mountain Goats- Woke Up New
12. Devendra Banhart- Seahorses


Download Here

Monday, August 20, 2007

BRUUUUUUUUUUCE

"It's New Jersey in the Morning Like a Lunar Landscape"

While I'm not living in the Dirrty Irrty (JerZ) at the moment, I know the Garden State was bumping the other day, when future governor (we can always hope) Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen announced that he will be releasing a new album with the E STREET BAND(!!!) on October 2nd. That means Magic, issued on Columbia Records is less than 6 weeks away. Longtime friend, manager and former producer Jon Landau had this to say:
"'Magic' is a high energy rock CD. It's light on its feet, incredibly well played by Bruce and the members of the E Street Band, and, as always, has plenty to say. It's also immensely entertaining. 'Magic' is the third collaboration between Bruce and Brendan O'Brien and is a culmination of their very productive creative relationship."

Not to gush, but this is all very exciting. While Magic makes my heart pitter patter, what really gets me going is the inevitable TOUR! Stay tuned for details (your definitely going to want to wake up early to get tix). Below are a couple of my favorite tracks from the masterpeice that is Born to Run. They need to be listened to in succession. Lap em up.

Bored at Work? Here are some links to interviews Rolling Stone did with Bruce and Brendan O'Brien
RS interviews Bruce
RS interviews Brendan O'Brien


Bruce Springsteen- Meeting Across the River
Bruce Springsteen- Jungleland

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Under the Blacklight

"Ohh It Feels Good to be Free"

So Under the Blacklight finally leaked and it's certianly not a rehashed More Adventurous. It's obvious the kids who used to play acoustic guitars and circuit bent Casio's are all growns up and Under the Blacklight proves maturity ain't so bad. I've already heard the word 'grower' thrown around when describing Rilo's Warner Bros. debut and I agree wholeheartedly. Your going to have to spend some time with this one, but in the end, I think it will pay off. BIG guitars and heavy-weight production (Mike Elizando of Dre, Em, and Fity fame) takes over where Mike Mogis's Omaha Wall of Lo-Fi Sound left off. Gone are the cutesy lullabies, replaced with break up anthems and sexed up songs about, well, sex. Yep, Jenny and Co. still kick ass. The opening track, "Silver Lining,' opens with a genuine George Harrison/Wilbury's riff, reminiscent of the Dark Horse's classic "My Sweet Lord," while "Breakin' Up" plays with squiggling synths and rock steady rhythms to create one hell of a shiny, happy break up songs I've ever heard. They even tackle Latin rhythms and Spanish Disco. More Adventurous for sure. Cheers to breakin' up and growing up. Ohh, It, Feels Good to be Free!

Rilo Kiley- Silver Lining
Rilo Kiley- Breakin' Up

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

I'm Not There Soundtrack


Details about the soundtrack to the forthcoming, Dylan-approved bio pic, I'm Not There (you know, the one starring 7 different Dylans, one being Cate Blanchett), were released yesterday and my only reaction is "Holy Shit." The soundtrack reads as a whose who of indie rock covering the Bard himself. I hate to take it at face value but this could end up being one of the greatest film soundtracks ever. It sure looks that way on paper. Jeff Tweedy covers "Simple Twist of Fate" ('Nuff Said). Hearing Jim James high lonesome voice on The Basement Tape gem "Goin' to Acapulco" is also sure to be a highlight.Tracklist for the 2-disc set below, as well as a choice Cat Power cover of "Knocking on Heavens Door" and Tweedy playing "John Wesley Harding." The Cat Power recording is from the "Speaking for Trees" DVD, which features Chan Marshall "performing solo outdoors in the countryside amidst the ambient sounds of nature." Also catch a sneak peak into a scene where Cate Blanchett's Dylan meets David Cross' Ginsberg. Big moment.

Cat Power- Knocking on Heavens Door
Jeff Tweedy- John Wesley Harding



I'm Not There Soundtrack

"All Along The Watchtower" - Eddie Vedder & The Million Dollar Bashers
"As I Went Out One Morning" - Mira Billotte
"Ballad Of A Thin Man" - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
"Billy" - Los Lobos
"Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window" - The Hold Steady
"Can't Leave Her Behind" - Stephen Malkmus & Lee Ranaldo
"Cold Irons Bound" - Tom Verlaine & The Million Dollar Bashers
"Dark Eyes" - Iron & Wine & Calexico
"Fourth Time Around" - Yo La Tengo
"Goin' To Acapulco" - Jim James & Calexico
"Highway 61 Revisited" - Karen O & The Million Dollar Bashers
"I Wanna Be Your Lover" - Yo La Tengo
"I'm Not There" - Bob Dylan
"I'm Not There" - Sonic Youth
"Just Like A Woman" - Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico
"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" - Ramblin' Jack Elliot
"Knockin' On Heaven's Door" - Antony & The Johnsons
"The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll" - Mason Jennings
"Maggie's Farm" - Stephen Malkmus & The Million Dollar Bashers
"Mama You've Been On My Mind" - Jack Johnson
"The Man In The Long Black Coat" - Mark Lanegan
"Moonshiner" - Bob Forrest
"One More Cup Of Coffee" - Roger McGuinn & Calexico
"Pressing On" - John Doe
"Ring Them Bells" - Sufjan Stevens
"Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)" - Willie Nelson & Calexico
"Simple Twist Of Fate" - Jeff Tweedy
"Stuck Inside Of Mobile With Memphis Blues Again" - Cat Power
"The Times They Are A Changin'" - Mason Jennings
"Tombstone Blues" - Richie Havens
"When The Ship Comes In" - Marcus Carl Franklin
"Wicked Messenger" - The Black Keys
"You Ain't Goin 'Nowhere" - Glen Hansard & Markta Irglov

Daft Punk in Brooklyn

"Robot Rock"

We were lucky enough to attend the sold out Daft Punk show at Coney Island last Thursday and are still in absolute awe thinking about what transpired: it wasn't so much a performance as it was an electronic spectacle; It wasn't merely live music with a solid light show - it was an all-out, balls-to-the-wall audio/visual extravaganza.

The set consisted of the French duo's greatest hits mixed and mashed with one another to create something fresh and original. But what really dropped the collective jaw of the audience were the lights: they were synced up perfectly to the music, and not a single sequence was repeated throughout the show. The amount of programming that must have gone into creating the display is mind-boggling, but the end result is well worth the effort. Check out some quality amateur video below (courtesy of 'bluebrow'), and keep your eyes peeled for news of an official release sometime in the future.

DOUBLE UPDATE: So there will be NO official DVD (boo!) but Daft Punk is releasing a mastered audio recording of their June 14 tour stop in Paris. The lead single will be "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and will feature video footage from the Brooklyn gig. Look for the disc in November, and peep Billboard for more details. Also, be sure to check out P4K for an impressive glimpse inside the pyramid.

Daft Punk - "Da Funk":

"Human After All"

"One More Time"/"Music Sounds Better With You"

Monday, August 13, 2007

Oops They Did It Again

"Okay Annie"


Hollertronix 7 was just released by Money Studios and its clear The Boogie Down Bottle Nose Dolphins (aka Diplo & Eli Escobar) ain't never scared. Needless to say it's a bangers collection of crunk'd up pop jams... on meth. "Betty" samples "Betty Davis Eyes" and throws some get-lo, poplocking booty bass behind it for good measure. The newest edition in the Hollertronix collection also features the Boogie Down Bottle Nose Dolphins remixes of Justice's "D.A.N.C.E." (seen on the recent Knuckles Podcast) and a break-tastic remix of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", also sampled on the new Kanye single ("Since Prince was on Appalonia"). Personally, I still prefer the original, but decide for yourself below. While the "D.A.N.C.E. Some More" is the undeniable highlight of this mix, "Okay Annie", a Bmore gutter crunk remix of MJ's "Smooth Criminal," is pretty gosh darn ill. The record ends with the wonderfully titled "Groove is in the Dick." Hollertronix, always one step ahead.

Buy Hollertronix 7 here


The Boogie Down Bottle Nose Dolphins- Okay Annie
The Boogie Down Bottle Nose Dolphins- Betty
The Boogie Down Bottle Nose Dolphins- Work Never Over

classik: Tenacious D

"MY ESSENCE HAS NO LABEL"

Jack Black on LSD. Another youtube gem for a lazy Monday morning.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Daytrotter: Mountain Goats

"Good Things Never Last, Bad Things Never Die"

Admittedly I dont know much about the Mountain Goats. Fortunately for me, Daytrotter's got my back. A few weeks ago the kind folks at Daytrotter posted a few tracks from a session they did with Mountain Goat John Darnielle. It got me through a very dull day. Ethiopians is the sad funny song that only works 1 out of every 1000th time. This one works. Really well. Besides, any song that begins "Window Mounted Air Conditioning Unit" has got my heart. Babylon Burnin' is another gem. About the Marley cover, Darnielle said "White dudes with acoustic guitars are probably better off not attempting to cover reggae songs, and if further evidence of that were needed, well, here you are." Don't be sad, dance to lovers reggae.


Mountain Goats- Ethiopians

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Knuckles Podcast #13: Commuter Love

"Is it a solar fever?"

Knuckles McGregor Podcast #13- Commuter Love was just posted this afternoon by, uh, me. It's a bright and upbeat compilation of fun bouncy stuff to make the bus, bike, car, train, subway ride or walk (if your that lucky) home from work actually seem like a happy hour. after a long day at work you deserve some good uptempo tunes, a few drinks and a stogey. it's only natural. Click link below to download.


Knuckles McGregor Podcast #13 Commuter Love


Knuckles McGregor Podcast #13- CommuterLove

1. Lee Dorsey- Get Out My Life Woman
2. Vampire Weekend- Oxford Comma
3. Islands- Don't Call Me Bobby, Whitney
4. Of Montreal- A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger
5. Bappi Lahiri, Chorus, Kishore Kumar, Nandu Bhende, Parvati- Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja
6. Justine Timberlake- LoveStoned (Justice Remix)
7. Justice-D.A.N.C.E. (Eli & Diplo Remix)
8. M.I.A- Paper Planes
9. Cassidy- Drink & My Two-Step (Cousin Cole Remix)
10. JDILLA- One for Ghost
11. JDILLA- Gobstopper
12. Lil Wayne- La La La
13. Nina Simone- Feelin' Good (Joe Claussell Remix)

pre-vue: Lil Jon

"You Can Do It All By Yo'Self"

Billboard is reporting that Lil Jon is crafting a rap/rock hybrid sound for his new album Crunk Rock, set to drop on October 30.

Says Jon: "I worked with the guitar player from P.O.D....Kid Rock, and a few others. My sh*t is real rock guitars with my beats, not keyboard guitars with ghetto beats." After fellow ATLiens Shop Boyz reached #2 on the charts with their own rap/rock banger, "Party Like a Rockstar", it seems like Lil Jon might be on to something big.

LJ promises that Crunk Rock will be some "next level sh*t." Check out the seizure-inducing video for the album's first single (which was released in May 2006) below.

Lil Jon (feat. E-40 and Sean Paul of Youngbloodz) - Snap Yo Fingers

Monday, August 6, 2007

Midnight Vultures

"So Israeli"


Cross polinated classick. No explanation necessary.

Beck- Nicotine & Gravy

Sexx Laws

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

nu musick: Vampire Weekend

"As a Sophmore/With Reggaeton"

Vampire Weekend has been dubbed the funkiest NYC buzz band since the Talking Heads. Rolling Stone claimed they sounded like "Pavement covering Paul Simon's Graceland." We hear it (maybe with a hint of Islands thrown in fo' flava). NY Times said "Even without an album Vampire Weekend has made one of the year’s most impressive debuts." "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" blends the signature rhythmic elements of afro-beat (minus driving horns) with an obtuse, folky simplicity. Minimalist in its approach, "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" sounds like it was made for a Wes Anderson Soundtrack (or Graceland). "Mansard Roof" is like CYHSY at a sideshow carnival, with a touch of Arctic Monkey's rapid fire guitar, naivety and vocal inflection. Its worldly, fun, literate pop for kids getting ready to spend another year hittin' the books. Makes me long for autumnal walks to the library. Brisk breeze, corduroy jackets and old books.


Vampire Weekend- Mansard Roof
Vampire Weekend- Oxford Comma